Wash ing-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. P. T. BBNBOW.

WASHING MACHINE.

gNgO. 550,579. Patented Deo. 3, 1895. al

7//////////. &\\\\" ANDREW BLRAIMM, PHUTO-LITHO WASHINGTON, D-C.

(NoModel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' P. T. BENBOW.

WASHING MACHINE.

No. 550,579. Patented Dec. 3, 1895.

2m@ Tmaw.

PARIS T. BENBOV, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION'forming' part of Letters Patent No. 550,579, datedDecember 3, 1895. Application led August 2, 1894. Serial No. 519,270.(No model.)

To LZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known vthat I, PARIS T. BENBOW, a citizen of the United States,residing` at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a newand useful Vashing-Machine, of which the following is a specification. f

This invention relates to improvements in washing-machines.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofwashing machines, to enable clothes to be rapidly and thoroughly washedwithout liability of in j ur' ing the fabrics, and to enable the hotwater necessary for washing to be heated in the washing-machine body ortub.

A further object of the invention is to enable the heating apparatusemployed for heating water in the tub or body to be arranged at one sideof the same for other purposes, such as cooking starch, heating, and thelike.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a washing-machineconstructed in aecordance with this invention, theheating apparatusbeing shown arranged at one side of the washing-machine body. Fig. 2 isa central vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar viewtaken at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4is ahorizontal sectional view.Fig; 5 is a detail perspective view of the agitator. Fig. 6 is a detailview of a portion of the bottom washboard or rubbing-surface,illustrating the construction of the locking-handle.

Like numerals of reference indicate correspondin g parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a washing-machine body, preferably rectangular in sectionand supported 'by legs 2, and the body is provided with a hinged cover 3and has at one side of the same a receptacle 4, the outer side of whichis adapted to have a wringerreadily secured to it. The cover has mountedupon it abearing bracket 5 ,in which is journaled a horizontallydisposedpinion 6, which meshes with a cogwheel 7, journaled on a stubshaft 8 ofthe bearing-bracket, and the stub-shaft is supported by a standard orbrace 9, which carries ahorizontallydisposed antifriction-wheel 10,adapted to hold the cog-wheel into mesh with the pinion.

The cog-wheel is designed to be oscillated and is provided at its lowerportions and sides with cogs, and it has at its top a skeleton socketl1, in which is secured an operating-handle 12. The horizontal pinion isdetachably journaled in the bearing-bracket by means of a removableplate 13, and it is provided with a central polygonal opening, in whichis loosely mounted the polygonal'portion 14 of a shaft 15, carrying anagitator 16. The upper portion 17 of the agitator-shaft is rounded andis journaled in an arm of the bearing-bracket, and the agitator-shaft iscapable of vertical adjustment to accommodate itself to differentquantities of clothes being washed.

The agitator consists of an open or spider frame 18, having flanged sideand cross bars and provided with a central rectangular socket 19,receiving the lower extremity of the agitator-shaft and providedA at itscornersand at its opposite sides with cylindrical sockets 20, receivingthe reduced upper ends of clothes-carrying pins 21 and provided withinwardly-proj ecting ribs 22, engaging the pins 21 and preventing thesame from turning in their sockets.

The agitatoris designed to carry the clothes being washed over thesheet-metal bottom 23 of the washing-machine body. A rubbing-sun face isarranged on the bottom of the body and consists of a series of groovedor corrugated bars 24, arranged at intervals and connected by strips 25,arranged at right angles to the corrugated bars 24 and having its sideedges oppositely beveled and iitting in dovetailed recesses of the bars24. The bottom rubbingsurface or washboard is adapted to be removed. Thestrips 25 project from one side of the rubbingsurface or washboard andengage under adjacent vertically-disposed grooved or corrugated bars 26,secured to the inner faces of the sides of the body, and these projecting ends 2S prevent `the bottom corrugated bars from floating. Therubbing-surface of the side of the body adjacent to the projecting ends28 terminates short of the bottom of the body to form a recess for thereception of the said ends 28.

The bottom bars are held down at the op- IOO posite side of thewashing-machine body by wire handle 29, consisting of a stem and anupper loop, which when the bars 24 are in place engages under a stop 30of the washing-machine body. The vertically-disposed corrugated bars 26terminate short of the bottom of the body and provide spaces, and thosespaces adjacent to the projecting ends of the bars 25 receive the same.

The body is supported by triangular cornerblocks 3l, having theirexposed vertical faces corrugated to form continuations of therubbing-surface of the sides of the washing-machine body, and theyprevent hot water from coming in contact with the edges of the sides andinjuring the body.

Vater in the washin g machine body is heated by a liquid-hydrocarbonburner 32, arranged on a horizontal arm of a vertical tube 34, whichlcarries a reservoir or tank 35 for gasoline or other liquid hydrocarbon.The vertical tube 34 is arranged in verticallyaligned bearings 36, whichare open and in which the vertical tube is secured at any desiredadjustment by clamping-screws 37. The burner is adapted to be arrangedunder the bottom of the washing-machine body, to which is secured thesubstantially rectangular llame-protector 38, constructed of sheet metaland having a centrall opening to receive the flame and provided withsuitable draft-openings.

The burner is adapted to be swung to one side of the body under astove-top 39, provided at its outer end with a leg and having an openingor stove-hole, under which is located the burner. The inner end of thestove-top has secured to it a bar 4l, projecting from opposite sides ofthe same and provided with eyes or openings 42, receivinghorizontally-disposed guide-rods 43, arranged beneath thewashing-machine body and having their ends bent upward and secured tothe same. These guide-rods permit the sto ve-top to be readily movedunder the washing-machine and withdrawn from under the same, whendesired.

lThe washing-machine body is provided at one side with a vent-opening44, and a removable plug is provided for the opening. By removing theplug the water may be readily drawn from the body.

It will be seen that the washing-machine body is simple andcomparatively inexpensive in construction; that it is capable of rapidlyeliecting the operation of washing without liability of injuring thefabrics, and that it is adapted for heating the water necessary for theoperation of Washing and of enabling starch to be readily cooked.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacriliciug anyof the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what l claim is- An agitator frame orspider, consisting of a single casting, and composed of inwardly curvediianged side-bars, and diametrically disposed flanged cross-bars,provided with a central rectangular socket to receive a shaft, saidframe being provided at the corners and at two of its sides at thepoints of juncture with the cross-bars, with vertically disposedcylindrical sockets, located within the frame and provided on theirinner faces with vertically disposed oppositely beveled ribs adapted toengage clothes carrying pins, whereby the latter are firmly fixed in thesockets, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. PARIS T. BENBOV.

Vitnesses:

C. D. GREENE, Jr., H. G. GREENE.

